Read Online Star Risk - 03 The Doublecross Program by Chris Bunch - Free Book Online Page A

carelessly."
    "Hoboy, is it ever," Riss said. "I was supposed to have a meet with Prince Barab this afternoon. He didn't show, and I commed his office. His aide was surprised at my getting a little upset. Perhaps, the aide said, he meant tomorrow afternoon."
    "A good example," Grok agreed. "Now, if we extend this into practice, it can also mean that an action contemplated for the future can easily slip into the past. In other words, something that is going to be done, unless reality introduces, can be taken as done."
    "Like recon jobs or raids," Riss said. "The Khelat thought about doing something about that ugly chunk of real estate I ended up leveling, never quite got around to it, but somehow, magically, it was taken care of."
    "Exactly," Grok said, growling in pleasure.
    "My paws and whiskers," von Baldur murmured. "That also means that if we send Force A out to take care of Situation B, and they report things are well flattened, they may or may not be telling the truth."
    "In fact," Goodnight said, "from what we've seen, it means almost certainly not. So watch your flanks."
    "And truth itself becomes a variable," King added. "Just as in subparticle physics."
    "I still don't have a clue," Goodnight said. "And am damned glad I don't. Thank the god of evil bastards that I pray to that I also brought back, in addition to all these goddamned pilots wandering around wiggling their hands in the air, some headbangers."
    "Oh?" King said. "I didn't catch that. Where did you bury their cost?"
    "Ah-hah," Goodnight gloated. "You see, even though you're super with the figures, sometimes somebody can slither one past you.
    "I'll show you directly� As soon as I get back from doing a little dirty all my very own that I picked up. You don't get to have all the fun, M'chel."
    He put a computer fiche on the biggest screen in the room, and the other four studied it carefully.
    "You can see," Goodnight said, "I'll need your help, Grok."
    "Given," the alien rumbled. "But only if I get to go along."
    "I thought you'd say something like that."
    Von Baldur nodded slowly.
    "Good, Chas. We do need a follow-up to M'chel's little bit of nastiness. However� we are supposedly working to educate our Khelat brethren, correct?"
    "Uh-oh."
    "Take at least a handful of them with you, leading from the front and all that. There'll be a bonus for you. Do not, please, attempt to fool me by leaving them in the rear, and taking only a manifest with you."
    "But Friedrich. This is going to be deep-space work, which requires a bit of experience."
    "You never get experience without experience," von Baldur said, a bit sententiously.
    "I gotta?" Goodnight said mournfully.
    "As you would put it, you gotta," Friedrich said.
    "You surely know how to ruin a good time."
    "One more thing," von Baldur said. "Do try not to get killed."
    "I'll do that little thing," Goodnight said. "Death spoils fun even more than you do."
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    TEN � ^ � The ship smelled mightily of used feet.
    It wasn't because of slobbery.
    Goodnight's mercenaries, in their earlier incarnation as regular soldiers, had been made familiar with soap. The Khelat were notoriously sanitary people.
    The cause was stuffing far too many beings into a patrol ship intended to fit four or five fairly friendly people. Plus suits, plus gear, plus rations. Extra water was in an auxiliary pack bolted to each patrol ship's skin.
    Goodnight had forty-three raiders to choose from, and had chosen thirty. For his mission, he thought more than that would just get in the way.
    In addition, there was Grok, his large tool kits, and ten Khelat.
    They were officer cadets, which Goodnight found meant they were connected to the royal family in one way or another.
    He didn't like it, felt he was setting himself up, but didn't have much of a choice, especially since Prince Barab had publicly proclaimed, without, fortunately, being specific, the Best and